Submitted by San Juan County.

On Dec. 4, San Juan County Council member Jane Fuller, District 3, hosted a town hall meeting at the Lopez Community Center. During this event, Council member Fuller shared updates with the Lopez community about current County issues, outlined plans for the County in 2026 and answered questions from the public.

Since joining the County Council in January 2023, key priorities for Fuller have included advocating for improved ferry service, access to affordable housing, improvements to the Department of Community Development, the sustainability and resilience of our environment, and increased school district funding. Below is a recap of the topics covered during the Dec. 4 town hall meeting.

Improved ferry service

During her first two years on the County Council, Council member Fuller served as the council liaison to the Ferry Advisory Committee. Throughout this period, the County’s marine highway experienced emergency-level service disruptions. The crisis the County faced was long in coming after decades of inadequate state funding for Washington State Ferries, including for new vessels, and the shock of COVID, when many staff and crew left the state-run organization.

The County Council and FAC advocated persistently and loudly to the state, the Legislature and the state on behalf of SJC residents to improve service reliability and performance with some success. The County secured permanent funding for an extra crew to run the inter-island vessel through the winter, additional crew to be stationed at Anacortes and emergency funding to pilot passenger-only ferry service between Anacortes and the San Juans from April through June 2025 from the former governor and the Legislature.

While we can see there have been a few improvements in our service performance and reliability, there is still much more to do. That’s why the County Council will continue its ongoing advocacy for the needs of the San Juans ferry route in the state’s 2026 legislative session.

Access to affordable housing

Affordable housing has been a key priority and will continue to be so in the years ahead. With the Council’s passage in 2023 of the sales tax for affordable housing, additional funds are being directed to our local housing organizations to augment the grants and other funding they leverage. More funding for affordable housing will also be a Council priority in the state’s 2026 legislative session.

Improvements to the Department of Community Development

When Council member Fuller began her term in 2023, constituents and local businesses were experiencing significant problems with services provided by the Department of Community Development. Since then, there have been marked improvements in the permit processing system, and the County has initiated updates to the County Code. The County is also actively renewing and strengthening its enforcement activities. Efforts to improve the work of this department will continue into 2026 under the leadership of the new director, Sev Jones.

Environmental sustainability and resilience

Environmental sustainability and resilience remain a priority for the County, and this was recently formalized with the inclusion of a Climate Element in the County’s updated Comprehensive Plan (2026-2045). With a vote to renew the San Juan County Conservation Land Bank by a strong majority of voters, and given our local economy’s reliance on visitors, a key issue for the County in 2026 will be ensuring sufficient funding for ongoing stewardship and preservation of the environment for the benefit of both visitors and residents.

Increased school funding

Another priority for Council member Fuller has been to secure adequate funding for the current and future viability of our K-12 school. This is an issue on which Fuller has been a very vocal advocate at the state and local levels.

The children and youth represent our future, yet the state is woefully underfunding education. Locally, the creation of a Park and Recreation District, like the one on San Juan Island, was seen as a way to establish a sustainable funding stream for our school district, specifically to fund school sports. Without sports at our school, more students will migrate to San Juan Island for schooling, adding to our district’s financial crisis. The recent vote to create a Park and Recreation District on Lopez Island and the election of five district commissioners establish a strong foundation on which a sustainable funding stream for the school district can be established. Council member Fuller is confident the five newly elected Parks and Recreation District commissioners will work to make this happen.

Upcoming challenges

Going forward, the County faces some major challenges, among them the need to balance the budget beyond 2026. The County is facing significant funding shortfalls as a result of the combination of escalating costs (e.g., insurance), expiration of COVID funding and unfunded state mandates. Next year will require difficult decisions by the County government and Council to reduce costs and find new revenues. At the same time, the state is experiencing a significant deficit, which has resulted in funding cuts to the County, with more cuts expected in the future. Similarly, the federal government is cutting funding for grants that flow to the County to provide critical services and finance local projects, including infrastructure.

While these challenges are significant, Council member Fuller believes that with her two fellow council members, who joined the Council in January 2025, Kari McVeigh (District 1 – San Juan Island) and Justin Paulsen (District 2 – Orcas Island), together they will be able to navigate the County through the difficult times ahead. The County Council shares the need to prioritize the efficient, effective and accountable delivery of services to residents while maintaining a balanced budget.

Council member Fuller encourages residents to elevate their voices through advocacy at the local, state and federal levels as their input is important and valuable to elected officials. She also extends her appreciation for the ongoing collaboration and communication with and support from constituents across the county.

Council member Fuller extends her best wishes for a peaceful and healthy holiday season, and looks forward to working with constituents across the county on key priorities in the New Year.